Low Profile Multi-band AESA for SATCOM and TCDL on VTUAV (1000-289)

SI2 Technologies, Inc. (SI2) will design and develop a multi-band active electronically steered array (AESA) for the X/Ku/Ka-band satellite communications (SATCOM) and Ku-band tactical common data link (TCDL) on a vertical take-off unmanned aerial vehicle (VTUAV). By leveraging a novel low cost low profile laminar array architecture, an extremely low profile is achieved while maintain high directivity; this provides stronger links and longer ranges without protruding from the platform"s outer mold line. The wide scan capability of the array enables a two aperture solution that will leverage diversity for improved system performance. The proposed array development could potentially provide new capabilities in terms of creating high data rate low probability of intercept (PoI) data links for line of sight (LOS) and beyond line of sight (BLOS) communications. Phase I will culminate in a hardware demonstration of a small-scale array optimized for RF requirements identified by the Navy and interested industry partners.